Clique August 2016 Challenge - Sport and Action

Turnbull decides to quit politics

Former federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has announced he will quit parliament.

Mr Turnbull has been considering his future since Tony Abbott beat him by one vote in a leadership ballot in December.

He lost his leadership because he supported an emissions trading scheme to tackle climate change. Mr Abbott, who also once supported such an approach, dumped it as Liberal policy in his first act as leader.

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"I thank [former prime minister] John Howard for giving me the opportunity to serve as environment and water minister. With his support I was able to ensure that for the first time in our history the interstate waters of the Murray Darling Basin were placed under national responsibility," he said.

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"However, I regret that another important reform begun during that time, the establishment of an emissions trading scheme, is no longer Liberal Party policy."